Poor Steve Nass

Proposing to expel a guy who’s been caught drunk driving five times is about as easy as introducing a resolution supporting Wisconsin cheese. Even if you’re representing a people who loves drunk driving as much as the Sconnies do. Even if Jeff Wood’s calculations are correct, and the people of the Chippewa Falls area don’t chase him out of office for his antics, Steve Nass has got nothing to lose by suggesting an early exit. But God forbid Nass do something uncontroversial.

Nass didn’t show up for Wednesday morning’s public hearing because he was concerned about the circus-like atmosphere created by Wood and Democratic partisan politics, his spokesman Mike Mikalsen said.

Committee chairwoman Mary Hubler, D-Rice Lake, said she would not yet schedule an executive session to vote on Wood because Nass didn’t show up Wednesday to testify or be cross-examined by Wood and his attorney.

Right, the Democrats want to use one of their members’ public humiliation and alcoholism to publicly ridicule and exploit Steve Nass.

Al I think you missed my humor buddy. My point is that Nass is the guy exploiting things –– namely Jeff Wood. But he’s trying to make it look like the Democrats will use political capital to protect him. He is an independent, but he caucuses with the Dems. That’s what matters.

I disagree. Wood votes with the Democrats, so he is effectively a Democrat.

His relationship with the Democratic leadership is no different than any other member of the Assembly with a D next to his name. He uses it to advance his interests, and it uses him to advance its interests. Sure, there are definitely members of the caucus who feel more loyal to the party and its supposed values, but there are probably also some who care less than Woods.

Barring personal stuff (I don’t know much about Woods) it’s really no different than all the instances of party-switching that we see in D.C. When a guy like Jeff Jeffords or Zell Miller switch parties (although Zeller never said he switched), they caucus with the other party, accept committee assignments from the new party, and in return vote in support of the party most of the time.